It’s Thank You Season
Q: I have two small children. How can I develop in them a sense of gratitude? I come from a large family and I have sent countless birthday, wedding, graduation, and baby gifts that are never acknowledged. I want my…
New Baby Alert!
Q: We’re expecting our second child in two months. Our firstborn is two-and-a-half and very excited at times, patting my tummy and talking to the baby. At other times, she seems very upset about the baby, becoming clingy and teary. How can…
Thankfully Yours
For about a year after we moved into the house we live in now, I had a peculiar habit that to this day, no one in my family knows about. (Minds out of the gutter, please. Nothing illicit going on…
To Dream a Kitchen
I remember that first morning when we stood in this doorway and took in all the cabinets, counters, and ceramic tile that finally belonged to us. We had no groceries in the fridge or utensils in the drawers, and almost…
What Mom Learned in Driver’s Ed!
Two days after my son turned fifteen-and-a-half, he had his driver’s permit in his hand. As a parent, my reactions veered across a wide spectrum of emotions. On one hand, having another driver in the house will undoubtedly be a…
The Right Time for Makeup
Q: At my daughter’s preschool, a few of her classmates have come to school wearing makeup and little high-heel shoes. Now my almost 4-year-old daughter is asking to wear makeup – mostly eyeshadow and lipstick. While I am okay with this,…
Sorry, Not Sorry
Trust me, I do not spend my days on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram, but if there’s a #parenting tweet that sums me up, it’s this: I am not an expert. I like Twitter. It’s fun to talk about innocuous things…
Separation Clarification
In order to move on we must, for a moment, move back, to the year 2000, to the month of June. The evening is a slow walk, the sky a sanctuary of the new summer’s endless light. We are a…
Today’s Mom on Juggling Career and Family
Yes, that’s me: the mom with bags slung haphazardly over each shoulder, rushing into preschool with her daughter, trying to balance a coffee cup in one hand while holding her daughter’s hand with the other, as she skips, jumps, and…
Dear Internet – Help!
Ask parents when to transition a toddler from a crib to a bed, and you’ll hear the same thing again and again: “Keep him in the crib as long as you possibly can.” My son, Gabriel, didn’t climb out of his…
